The Airlines Are Definetaly Saving Fuel

[Idlewild]

So I'm on my way from EWR to BHM via Continental Express and I notice as we taxi out for T/O is that a majority of the aircraft are taxing on one engine including us. In fact we don't even have flaps down until we're third in line. After T/O the flaps go up at around two or three thousand feet. Is this normal for an Embraer? Maybe, we weren't even 1/2 full. Then when we land, no reverse thrust. Two other things. It took us over 2 1/2 hpurs to travel 850 miles and after we landed we were held in the tarmac for thirty minutes because of delayed loading Embraer.

Btw, I noticed a BBJ on the North end of EWR. It looked of Arabic orgin. Green and black pin stripes, sattelite bumps all over the top of the fuselage. Any emirs visiting?

[cancidas]

flaps don't have to go down until the airplane is being configured for take-off, which can be done prior to taxi or jsut prior to takeoff. sometimes it's quicker to taxi out and get a position on the taxiway and then worry about configuring the airplane, especially when there are lines comparable to the van wyck. when expecting a quick taxi pilots might just configure the airplane before taxiing to get out quick. it all depends.


but the single-engine taxi has been going on for quite some time. you just have to hope that you can light the thing when you reach the runway.

[HPNPilot1200]

So I'm on my way from EWR to BHM via Continental Express and I notice as we taxi out for T/O is that a majority of the aircraft are taxing on one engine including us. In fact we don't even have flaps down until we're third in line. After T/O the flaps go up at around two or three thousand feet. Is this normal for an Embraer? Maybe, we weren't even 1/2 full. Then when we land, no reverse thrust. Two other things. It took us over 2 1/2 hpurs to travel 850 miles and after we landed we were held in the tarmac for thirty minutes because of delayed loading Embraer.

Btw, I noticed a BBJ on the North end of EWR. It looked of Arabic orgin. Green and black pin stripes, sattelite bumps all over the top of the fuselage. Any emirs visiting?

I'm not familiar with the standard operating procedures on the Embraers, but on the Citations we retract flaps and engage the yaw damper at 400 AGL. As cancidas pointed out flaps are set for takeoff upon configuration. On the jets I've flown, takeoff flaps (15º) come down in the before taxi checklist.

Most jets use a hydraulic system to activate the flaps, which you should have sufficient hydraulic pressure with one engine running and/or an auxiliary pump off an APU.